Audio power source with improved efficiency

ABSTRACT

Example embodiments provide a device that includes a power transformer with a first output voltage terminal providing a first voltage and a second output voltage terminal providing a second voltage, a voltage regulator coupled to one or more of the first output voltage terminal and the second output voltage terminal, and a power storage element that stores power supplied by the second output voltage, and the first output voltage terminal supplies power to a remote entity until a load power requirement of the remote entity exceeds a threshold power level at which time the power storage element is used to provide power from the second output voltage terminal to the remote entity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter of this application relates to the problem in theaudio field that average audio amplifier output power is a fraction ofpeak output power for typical program material such as speech or music.Known solutions to this problem suffer from significant limitations. Forexample, in one known system, all power passes through two converters tothe load, reducing system efficiency during times when the output loadis lower than the source power limit, and reducing the average poweravailable from a limited source.

A second limitation is that all of these circuits involve a highervoltage storage voltage. While that often is advantageous, sometimesstorage is more optimally done at lower voltages, such as is the casewith batteries, electric double layer capacitors, and other similarstorage devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present application relates to a method of powering electricalequipment such as an audio amplifiers and DC-DC converters. Thisapplication claims an improved method of providing high burst power toaudio amplifiers from limited power sources. The method employs parallelpower paths to increase system efficiency without need for a power pathcontroller, thus utilizing a simplified circuit operation and maximizingaverage power available for both the amplifier and supporting circuitry.

One example embodiment may include a device that includes a powertransformer with a first output voltage terminal providing a firstvoltage and a second output voltage terminal providing a second voltage,a voltage regulator coupled to one or more of the first output voltageterminal and the second output voltage terminal, and a power storageelement configured to store power supplied by the second output voltage,wherein the first output voltage terminal is configured to supply powerto a remote entity until a load power requirement of the remote entityexceeds a threshold power level at which time the power storage elementis used to provide power from the second output voltage terminal to theremote entity.

The value of V2 may be one of a higher voltage, a lower voltage and thesame voltage as the V1 voltage. The set point of the voltage regulatoris set to a voltage level that is less than the V1 voltage. The voltageregulator is coupled to the second output voltage terminal. The powerstorage element is directly coupled to the second output voltageterminal. When the load power requirement of the remote entity exceedsthe threshold power level, the V1 voltage decreases below the set pointof the voltage regulator. The device may also include an error amplifierand opto-coupler coupled to the first output voltage terminal, and acontroller coupled to the error amplifier and opto-coupler, and theerror amplifier, opto-coupler and controller include a feedback circuitwhich provides a feedback signal to the controller to regulate a V1voltage level.

Another example embodiment may include a device that includes adifferential amplifier, a voltage weighting element, coupled to avoltage source which provides an input voltage, to provide a referencevoltage with a constant power limit when the input voltage varies, anerror amplifier configured to receive and compare the reference voltageprovided from the voltage weighting element and a feedback sensedvoltage provided from the differential amplifier to identify whether thesensed voltage exceeds the reference voltage, and a pulse widthmodulation (PWM) controller, coupled to a power transformer and theerror amplifier, that reduces a transformer input current provided tothe power transformer based on the comparison of the reference voltagefrom the voltage weighting element and the feedback sensed voltage fromthe differential amplifier.

The voltage weighting element provides the reference voltage based on avoltage decrease to a current limit set point as the input voltageincreases. The differential amplifier includes a low pass filter. Thefeedback sensed voltage from the differential amplifier is provided froma current sense resistor coupled to the power transformer and thedifferential amplifier. The power transformer input current is detectedby a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET)transistor switch, the pulse width modulation (PWM) controller reduces atransformer current provided to the power transformer when the feedbacksensed voltage from the differential amplifier exceeds the referencevoltage from the voltage weighting element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the samemay be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way ofexample, to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the power limiterblock.

FIG. 3 shows a more detailed configuration of the power limiter block.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This application teaches an improved method of providing high burstpower to audio amplifiers from limited power sources. An audio amplifierincorporated in a power supply network is often connected to via acapacitive element to a voltage converter which is itself connected to astorage battery and to an alternator and which is voltage-regulated andcurrent-limited.

It is well known in the audio field that average audio amplifier outputpower is a fraction of peak output power for typical program materialsuch as speech or music. Operating the audio amplifier gives rise tocurrent being drawn from the network at the outlet of the voltageconverter, with this effect being transferred to the inlet of thevoltage converter. This may cause current peaks with characteristicswhich are incompatible with the quality of the amplifier sound.

There are a variety of known methods to attempt to get high peak outputfrom a limited power source or limited power converter. These knownsolutions to this problem suffer from significant limitations. Forexample, in one known system, all power passes through two converters tothe load, reducing system efficiency during times when the output loadis lower than the source power limit, and reducing the average poweravailable from a limited source.

Another limitation of these known methods is that these known circuitsinvolve a higher voltage storage voltage. While that often isadvantageous, sometimes storage is more optimally done at lowervoltages, such as is the case with batteries, electric double layercapacitors, and other similar storage devices.

The solution of this disclosure employs parallel power paths to increasesystem efficiency without need for a power path controller, thusutilizing a simplified circuit operation and maximizing average poweravailable for both the amplifier and supporting circuitry.

Power input 100 to the system may come from a variety of sources, wherethe source itself is limited, or where it is desirable to only drawlimited power from a larger source. Examples of limited sources arePower over Ethernet (PoE), USB, AC inverters and AC-DC converters, andbatteries with significant impedances where excessive current draw willprematurely trip low battery shutdown circuitry.

Input power is fed through a controlled power switch 110 into atransformer 140. The transformer 140 may be either isolated ornon-isolated. There are two outputs from the transformer 140, VI and V2,145 and 146 respectively.

V1 is the main output which supplies power to the load. This load caninclude audio amplifiers, DC-DC converters, and digital and analogelectronics. V1 is regulated to a constant voltage by use of a referenceand error amplifier 180, opto-coupler 150, and pulse-width modulation(PWM) controller 230 to encode the amplitude of a signal right into apulse width or duration of another signal, usually a carrier signal, fortransmission.

A power limiter circuit 130 monitors input power to the transformer 140and feeds into the PWM controller 120 to limit input power to at orbelow a predetermined maximum level.

V2 is the storage output, and is fed to a storage bank 160. The storagebank 160 may be a capacitor, electric double layer capacitor, orbattery, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

V2 will be set at a lower voltage than VI, or a higher voltage than VI,or the same voltage as V1. The choice is made based upon the particularstorage technology and storage voltage desired.

V2 is fed into a voltage regulator 170, which is then fed into theoutput voltage VI. The set point of V2 is slightly lower than V1, sothat during normal operation, V1 supplies the load. During this time,the voltage regulator 170 is active but not supplying load current.

In an alternate embodiment, a single control circuit may be used tocontrol both V1 and the voltage regulator output, as will be seen by oneskilled in the art. In this way, a constant output voltage will bemaintained. VI will supply the load first, and followed by the voltageregulator 170 if V1 is insufficient in power capability.

As will be known by those skilled in the art, the voltage regulator 170type will vary, depending upon the relationship of V2 to V1. If V2 isgreater than V1, the regulator 170 may be preferably a step-down (buck)converter, a linear regulator, or a buck-boost converter such as SEPIC,flyback, Zeta, or other similar topology.

If V2 is set to less than or equal to VI, a step-up (boost, SEPIC,flyback, Zeta) converter or charge pump may be employed to raise theoutput voltage as required. If V2 is equal to V1, a step-up (boost,SEPIC, flyback, Zeta) converter or charge pump may be employed toregulate the output voltage as required.

As will be known by those skilled in the art, while the embodiment ofFIG. 1 is shown as a single VI and V2 system, the system and method mayhave multiple embodiments of the same concept, to allow for differenttypes of loads, and for alternatively bipolar (plus and minus output)supplies as are commonly used in audio amplifiers.

In operation, when supplying a load where input power is below the limitset point, all load power is provided through VI. This is a distinctionof the invention over prior art, where load power passes through astorage bank and an output regulator.

Because of this feature, overall converter efficiency is enhanced. Thatis, because V1 and V2 are parallel paths rather than in series, the moreefficient path is used when possible, which is V1 as shown in FIG. 1.

This is especially advantageous for limited sources, as it maximizes theaverage power available to the load. Additionally, during the time whereinput power is below the limit set point, power not used by the load(through V1) is used to charge the storage bank 160 via V2. Total inputpower never exceeds the desired limit. When the storage bank 160 isfully charged, V2 current drops to zero and V1 continues to supply theload.

Burst operation occurs when required output power exceeds that which canbe supplied by V1. V1 power limit is the input power set pointmultiplied by converter efficiency.

During burst operation, as output power exceeds what V1 can provide, V1voltage begins to decrease. When it decreases to the V2 voltageregulator set point, the regulator 170 takes over and provides outputpower. V1 stops supplying current and all available converter powertransfers to V2. V2 voltage regulator power is therefore supplied forshort periods by energy in the storage bank 160 in combination with theconverter via V2. This minimizes the amount of storage required.

Once burst power is no longer required, the system begins to return toits normal state. The voltage regulator 170 continues to supply loadpower while V2 charges the storage bank 160. As the storage bank 160charges, V1 increases in value. When V1 increases to the set point ofthe V2 voltage regulator, the voltage regulator 170 output currentreduces. V1 again supplies power to the load and returns to itsregulated set point.

Advantages of the invention are increased efficiency, maximized outputpower from a limited source, reduced power dissipation, and reducedenergy usage.

For power limited applications such as PoE (Power over Ethernet), thepower limiter 130 preferably engages quickly to void tripping the PSE(Power Sourcing Equipment) (not shown) current limit. Accordingly, itsbandwidth must be high and latency low. Simply measuring DC inputcurrent and voltage are insufficient, because input LC filters typicalto PoE applications slow the current sense time. This in turn limits themaximum bandwidth of the current loop and affects the stability of thepower limit circuit. When burst operation is required, the input currentcan overshoot before the power limiter 130 can engage, risking exceedingPSE current limit and causing system shut-down.

The power limiter block diagram is shown in FIG. 2. This embodiment isapplicable for single ended converters. However, adaptations for othertopologies such as half bridge, full bridge, resonant, and can beimplemented, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

A voltage reference 200 provides an initial set point for primarycurrent limit. Next, a voltage weighting block 210 takes the referencevoltage and adjusts it based on the input voltage to achieve a constantpower limit. That is, increased input voltage decreases referenceoutput, which in turn decreases the current limit set point. Theweighted reference is fed into the error amplifier 220.

Current from the power transformer 140 is switched by switch 147 andsensed in a current sense resistor 148. It may alternately be sensed bya current transformer or other current sense method (not shown).

This current sense signal 148 is fed into a differential amplifier 240,which is implemented with a low pass filter to create an average currentsignal from the instantaneous current in the current sense resistor.

This is a critical step to fast power limit response in that theinstantaneous input current is very quickly controlled by the PWMcontroller 230. Current response delay is low with this method and isnot affected by the input filter. As a result, the low pass filter ofthe differential amplifier 240 may be implemented at a frequency ofchoice to optimize response time and stability.

Output from the differential amplifier 240 is fed into the erroramplifier 220 and compared to the weighted reference. If average sensedcurrent exceeds the reference, the error amplifier 220 outputs a signalto the PWM controller 230 to reduce transformer current to maintainpower at the limit set point.

Stability compensation of the current loop is implemented with the lowpass filter in the differential amplifier 240, and with error amplifier220 compensation.

DC current sensing circuits (that is, anywhere in the input current pathbefore the converter stage itself) are limited by the cutoff frequencyof the input filter. In known systems, this can be as low as a few kHzto create an economical filter sufficient for EMC compatibility, and inthese known systems, faster response requires a higher frequencycut-off, reducing filtering effectiveness.

Advantageously, the system and method taught herein avoids limitation,since the bandwidth of the current loop is not dependent upon the inputfilter. Here, bandwidths of 30 kHz or higher are easily implemented. Theinput filter may therefore be designed independently of the current loopfor the most effective filtering at lowest cost.

The standard IEEE 802.3 (at) for PoE+ currently specifies a maximum loadof 25.5 W for a powered device. In known systems, this generally means25.5 W input with 90% converter efficiency makes 22.95 W available forloads. Digital and communications circuitry can easily draw 3 W in atypical application, leaving approximately 20 W available to the poweramplifier. A typical Class D audio amplifier will have an efficiency of80%, meaning actual audio is 20 W×80%=16 W continuous output. Since PoE+power sources have limited power, along with fast acting current limits,any peak power output above 16 W risks an overcurrent of the powersource, shutting down operation. Limiters on the amplifier can preventthis, but audio quality suffers due to the limitation. This severelylimits the practicality of prior art implementations, especially in alarger conference room.

In contrast, one embodiment of this disclosure utilizes an audio poweramplifier that operates from a limited Power over Ethernet source. Inthis embodiment, internal storage provides for higher peaks while theconverter limits power input, making it is possible to have peak audiooutput utilizing power greater than 16 W.

In this embodiment, power input ranging from 42.5 VDC to 57 VDC from anEthernet power source is received by a RJ-45 connector and passesthrough an Ethernet coupling transformer to provide DC outputs. Theoutput polarity varies, so it is passed through a pair of bridgerectifiers to provide a DC output of known polarity. Circuit topologyfor this embodiment is a single ended flyback converter, which providesisolation and good tracking of multiple output voltages.

The power switch employed is an N-channel MOSFET with 150 VDC rating tohandle input voltage, transformer flyback voltage, and provide marginfor reliability. A preferred operating frequency is 250 kHz, whichoffers reasonable size, cost, and efficiency. The power switch iscontrolled by PWM controller, which operates in peak current modecontrol with an overall loop response of approximately 2 kHz for themain converter loop. The power switch source current is sensed withresistor and fed into the PWM controller to detect peak primary current.

In this embodiment, converter outputs are 25.5V and 51V, although thiscan be adjusted as necessary to optimize audio performance. The 25.5Voutput provides power directly to an audio amplifier, as well as digitaland communications circuitry via post regulators. The 51V outputsupplies the storage, which is implemented here by 5×680 uF aluminumelectrolytic capacitors. The control loop is closed around the 25.5Voutput. Voltage tolerance is set tight, using a 0.5% reference and 0.1%divider resistors. The set point is 25.5 VDC, which allows for highestaudio output while not exceeding amplifier input voltage rating of 26VDC.

Error feedback is transmitted to the controller by a linear optocoupler.The controller can employ either optocoupler feedback or primary sideregulation, and an optocoupler is used here for maximum output precisionand best dynamic load response.

Input power limiter in operation utilizes the equation Input Power=InputVoltage×Input Current. Primary current is sensed with a resistor,however the power limiter uses average converter current instead of peakcurrent. Using peak primary current for power limiting would result inlarge inaccuracies due to varying duty cycle with input voltage, as wellas transformer magnetizing current. Average input current is a moreprecise method to achieve an accurate power limit.

To determine average input current, resistor voltage is fed into aprecision high speed differential amplifier with excellent common moderejection ratio specifications. The differential feedback networkincludes frequency compensation to average the input current signal, andprovide for a fast, but stable power loop. Here, power limiter loopresponse is approximately 30 kHz, and input current peaks that couldcause the power source to current limit and shut the amplifier down aregreatly reduced and shortened.

Alternatively, average current sensing could be accomplished by sensingaverage return current or input filter inductor, however this causes aslower response. The filter inductor and capacitors, in combination,introduce a double pole in the loop response at approximately 4.3 kHz inthis embodiment, which is less optimal speed to achieve a quick powerlimit with little or no input current overshoot.

Input of the high-speed differential amplifier is fed into a furthererror amplifier, and compared against a reference provided by voltagereference shunt. The reference is weighted by the input voltage suchthat increased voltage in results in a lower reference output. Outputweighting reduces input current at higher input voltages, in keepingwith a constant power input. With proper component selection, inputpower can be made accurate to within +/−2% over the input voltage range.Available input power usage is maximized without exceeding power sourcelimits.

Output from error amplifier is fed through Q9 into the feedback pin ofPWM controller, completing the power loop.

On the output side of the converter, 51V is fed to a bank of storagecapacitors. The 51V output is further fed to a buck regulator.

The buck regulator output is set for 25.0 VDC. In this example, thisvoltage is below the main loop set point of 25.5 VDC, the buck regulatoris off during normal operation, and load power is provided by the 25.5Vflyback output.

When amplifier output requires power above the power limit of theflyback converter, dynamic, or “burst”, operation ensues. The firstresult is that, under power limit, the 25.5V output begins to fall fromits 25.5 VDC set point. When it drops to 25.0V, the buck regulatorcontroller engages to maintain voltage at a 25.0 V level. Buck regulatorloop response is set to 10 kHz or higher so that it can quickly respond.

Power is drawn from storage during burst operation, and storage voltagegradually drops during this time. At the same time, the convertersources as much power as possible to the 51V output to minimize voltagedrop. Input power stays constant at the limit during burst operation,maximizing audio power and reducing storage requirements.

Buck regulator is chosen to maximize duty cycle operation and minimizesvoltage dropout through the buck regulator, further maximizing audiooutput capability and reducing storage requirements.

Once dynamic amplifier power reduces to below the power limit, theflyback remains at full power until the 51V storage output is rechargedto normal levels and the 25.5V output rises above 25.0 VDC. At thispoint, the buck regulator turns off and normal operation is restored.

As designed and described, transition in and out of burst operation issmooth and requires no separate power path controller. System cost anddesign complexity are thus minimized.

Accordingly, the preferred embodiment realizes an increase in dynamicpower of greater than an order of magnitude over prior art. Much largerrooms and venues are serviced with the invention. Listening testsconfirm a clear superiority in side-by-side comparisons. Stated in termsof dynamic power rating, a full bandwidth amplifier of this embodimenthas been measured at 50 W×4 for a four-channel implementation, whichoffers a total of 200 W of dynamic audio power before the amplifierclips or is required to limit. Accordingly, the preferred embodimentrealizes an increase in dynamic power of greater than an order ofmagnitude over known systems. It will be appreciated that the system isnot restricted to the particular embodiment that has been described, andthat variations may be made therein without departing from the scope ofthe system as defined in the appended claims, as interpreted inaccordance with principles of prevailing law, including the doctrine ofequivalents or any other principle that enlarges the enforceable scopeof a claim beyond its literal scope. Unless the context indicatesotherwise, a reference in a claim to the number of instances of anelement, be it a reference to one instance or more than one instance,requires at least the stated number of instances of the element but isnot intended to exclude from the scope of the claim a structure ormethod having more instances of that element than stated.

According to other example embodiments and referring to FIGS. 1 and 2,V2 can be either higher, lower, or the same voltage as V 1. The setpoint of the voltage regulator 170 may be set slightly below the V1 setpoint regardless of whether or not V2 is higher, lower, or the same asV1.

Setting the voltage regulator 170 set point below V1 provides that,under most conditions, output power of the power transformer 140 issupplied by V1. When V1 becomes power limited, due to high loadrequirements, then V1 drops below the voltage regulator set point,permitting burst power to come from the storage 160 via the voltageregulator 170.

The error amplifier 180 and opto-coupler 150 are part of the V1 feedbackcircuit, but not part of the power limiting circuit. A feedback signalfrom the error amplifier 180 is transferred through the opto-coupler 150back into the PWM controller 120 to regulate V 1. The actual power limitis performed by the power limiter 130 sensing input voltage and powerswitch current. There is a variable voltage reference in the powerlimiter block 130, as well as another error amplifier 220. When inputpower exceeds the limit, this other error amplifier 220 is provided tothe PWM controller 230 to limit converter power. Error amplifier 220 isimplemented with one section of a dual operational amplifier and uses aseparate reference voltage 200. The voltage regulator 170 has a [setpoint voltage] that is set lower than V1, as explained above. TheN-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) islabelled power switch 100 in FIGS. 1 and Q1 in FIG. 2

In operation, a voltage load may have an input power below the limit setpoint, in which case, all load power is provided through V1 and the loadpower to the storage bank may be turned off when load power is below theset point. At power levels below the set point limit, power only passesthrough a single converter (V1 output) before being used by the load.This provides an efficiency increase, as well as a reduction in powerdissipation. During this time, the storage bank 160 is disconnectedbecause voltage regulator 170 is not operating since its output voltageset point is lower than V1. Burst power begins when the load power isgreater than what V1 can supply. This load power is equal to the inputpower limit multiplied by the efficiency of the converter. In theAMP-450P, V1 will deliver about 23 W to loads from a 25.5 W PoE+ input(90% efficiency). The term ‘converter’ represents the major powercomponents, such as the power switch 110, the transformer 140 andoutputs V1 146 and V2 145. The power limiter 130 of FIG. 1 includes thevoltage reference 200, the voltage weighting component 210, erroramplifier 220, differential amplifier 240 and current sense resistor 148of FIG. 2.

Power transfer to burst power is inherently smooth and does not requirea decision or control input. V1 is set for 25.5V, for example, andvoltage regulator 170 is set for 25.0V. As output load increases pastthe limits of V1, output voltage will start to drop. As V1 drops below25.0V, voltage regulator 170 will begin to regulate, pulling its energyfrom the storage bank 160, and maintaining a 25.0V output level. Othervoltages may be used and this example is for example purposes only. Theconverter/transformer 140 continues to supply output power at its limitthrough V2 during this time. This reduces the amount required from thestorage bank, extending its storage capacity. The converter/transformer140 may be an isolated flyback converter, where V1 and V2 approximatelytrack each other according to their turn ratios on the transformer 140,as will be understood by those skilled in the art. During burstoperation, the voltage level on the transformer 140 supplying V1 hasdropped to where it cannot supply the output voltage, but powertransfers naturally to V2 as they both come from the same transformer140.

Once output load power reduces again below the set point limit, storageenergy is replenished through V2 while output voltage is stillmaintained at 25.0V by voltage regulator 170. Once storage issufficiently charged through V2, the voltage on the transformer windingportion of the transformer supplying V1 is high enough that V1 startssourcing again. As V1 rises above 25.0V, voltage regulator 170 stopssupplying current. V1 continues to rise to its set point of 25.5V andreturns to regulation.

The effectiveness of this circuit can be demonstrated with an examplefrom a 25.5 W input, the AMP-450P can supply short term bursts of audiopower exceeding 200 W (50 W×4 channels). The AMP-450P is not part of theexamples in FIGS. 1-3 and represents an end product that utilizes thecircuits illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. This enhances the performancecapability over a standard PoE amplifier. There are varying levels ofpower available from the PoE amplifier, so higher power limits willproportionately increase output capability.

One example embodiment may include a device that includes a powertransformer with a first output voltage terminal providing a firstvoltage and a second output voltage terminal providing a second voltage,a voltage regulator coupled to one or more of the first output voltageterminal and the second output voltage terminal, and a power storageelement configured to store power supplied by the second output voltage,wherein the first output voltage terminal is configured to supply powerto a remote entity until a load power requirement of the remote entityexceeds a threshold power level at which time the power storage elementis used to provide power from the second output voltage terminal to theremote entity.

The value of V2 may be one of a higher voltage, a lower voltage and thesame voltage as the V1 voltage. The set point of the voltage regulatoris set to a voltage level that is less than the V1 voltage. The voltageregulator is coupled to the second output voltage terminal. The powerstorage element is directly coupled to the second output voltageterminal. When the load power requirement of the remote entity exceedsthe threshold power level, the V1 voltage decreases below the set pointof the voltage regulator. The device may also include an error amplifierand opto-coupler coupled to the first output voltage terminal, and acontroller coupled to the error amplifier and opto-coupler, and theerror amplifier, opto-coupler and controller include a feedback circuitwhich provides a feedback signal to the controller to regulate a V1voltage level.

Another example embodiment may include a device that includes adifferential amplifier, a voltage weighting element, coupled to avoltage source which provides an input voltage, to provide a referencevoltage with a constant power limit when the input voltage varies, anerror amplifier configured to receive and compare the reference voltageprovided from the voltage weighting element and a feedback sensedvoltage provided from the differential amplifier to identify whether thesensed voltage exceeds the reference voltage, and a pulse widthmodulation (PWM) controller, coupled to a power transformer and theerror amplifier, that reduces a transformer input current provided tothe power transformer based on the comparison of the reference voltagefrom the voltage weighting element and the feedback sensed voltage fromthe differential amplifier.

The voltage weighting element provides the reference voltage based on avoltage decrease to a current limit set point as the input voltageincreases. The differential amplifier includes a low pass filter. Thefeedback sensed voltage from the differential amplifier is provided froma current sense resistor coupled to the power transformer and thedifferential amplifier. The power transformer input current is detectedby a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET)transistor switch, the pulse width modulation (PWM) controller reduces atransformer current provided to the power transformer when the feedbacksensed voltage from the differential amplifier exceeds the referencevoltage from the voltage weighting element.

FIG. 3 illustrates a more detailed configuration of the power limitercircuit of FIG. 2. Switch 147 Q1 is controlled by the MOSFET transistor.

In another example embodiment, the power limiter 130 of FIG. 1 and thecorresponding portions of the power limiter identified in FIG. 2 includea reference output and a reference feedback voltage. There is a dividerto the input voltage (VIN) which adjusts the reference output down asthe VIN increases. The reference output becomes a variable current limitreference such that increased VIN creates a lower reference to keep thetotal power the same. This provides a straight-line approximation ofpower set for 25.5 W at VIN=42.5V and VIN=57V. In between, the powerslightly increases to around 26 W, which is within an expected designtolerance range. This example is one example and other voltages may beused to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device, comprising: a controller; a powertransformer comprising a first output voltage terminal providing a firstvoltage (V1) and a second output voltage terminal providing a secondvoltage (V2) and wherein the controller is used to control an amount ofvoltage of one or more of V1 and V2 based on a feedback signal; and apower storage element configured to store power supplied by the secondoutput voltage, wherein the first output voltage terminal is configuredto supply power to a remote entity until a load power requirement of theremote entity exceeds a threshold power level.
 2. The device of claim 1,wherein V2 is one of a higher voltage, a lower voltage and the samevoltage as the V1 voltage.
 3. The device of claim 1, comprising avoltage regulator coupled to the first output voltage terminal.
 4. Thedevice of claim 3, wherein the voltage regulator is coupled to thesecond output voltage terminal.
 5. The device of claim 3, wherein a setpoint of the voltage regulator is set to a voltage level that is lessthan the V1 voltage.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the power storageelement is used to provide power from the second output voltage terminalto the remote entity and is directly coupled to the second outputvoltage terminal.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein when the load powerrequirement of the remote entity exceeds the threshold power level, theV1 voltage decreases below a set point of the voltage regulator.
 8. Thedevice of claim 1, further comprising an error amplifier andopto-coupler coupled to the first output voltage terminal.
 9. The deviceof claim 8, wherein the controller is coupled to the error amplifier andopto-coupler.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the error amplifier,opto-coupler and the controller comprise a feedback circuit whichprovides the feedback signal to the controller to regulate a V1 voltagelevel.
 11. A device, comprising: a first module comprising a firstoutput voltage terminal providing a first voltage (V1) and a secondoutput voltage terminal providing a second voltage (V2) and wherein acontroller is used to control an amount of voltage of one or more of V1and V2 based on a feedback signal; and a second module configured tostore power supplied by the second output voltage, wherein the firstoutput voltage terminal is configured to supply power to a remote entityuntil a load power requirement of the remote entity exceeds a thresholdpower level.
 12. The device of claim 11, wherein V2 is one of a highervoltage, a lower voltage and the same voltage as the V1 voltage.
 13. Thedevice of claim 11, comprising a voltage regulator coupled to the firstoutput voltage terminal.
 14. The device of claim 13, wherein the voltageregulator is coupled to the second output voltage terminal.
 15. Thedevice of claim 13, wherein a set point of the voltage regulator is setto a voltage level that is less than the V1 voltage.
 16. The device ofclaim 11, wherein the second module is used to provide power from thesecond output voltage terminal to the remote entity and is directlycoupled to the second output voltage terminal.
 17. The device of claim11, wherein when the load power requirement of the remote entity exceedsthe threshold power level, the V1 voltage decreases below a set point ofthe voltage regulator.
 18. The device of claim 11, further comprising anerror amplifier and opto-coupler coupled to the first output voltageterminal.
 19. The device of claim 18, wherein the controller is coupledto the error amplifier and opto-coupler.
 20. The device of claim 19,wherein the error amplifier, opto-coupler and the controller comprise afeedback circuit which provides the feedback signal to the controller toregulate a V1 voltage level.